A common type of a network-based transaction is purchasing goods or services via a network-based commerce facility or trading platform (e.g., a website on the Internet). One type of network-based transaction is an online-auction transaction. In an online-auction transaction, a seller offers an item for sale via an auction website in which a number of bidders access the website and bid for the item. A transaction is completed after the winning bidder pays for the item and the seller delivers the item to the winning bidder.
A common type of a network-based transaction is purchasing goods or services via a network-based commerce facility or trading platform (e.g., a website on the Internet). One type of network-based transaction is an online-auction transaction. In an online-auction transaction, a seller offers an item for sale via an auction website in which a number of bidders access the website and bid for the item. A transaction is completed after the winning bidder pays for the item and the seller delivers the item to the winning bidder.
A number of technical challenges exist with such a transaction such as a party to the transaction failing to follow through with the transaction. For example, the winning bidder may falsely claim that the seller did not deliver the auctioned item, fail to pay for the auctioned item, or provide a fraudulent check to purchase the item. In such a case, the bidder is referred to as a “non-paying bidder.” As a result of a failed transaction, the seller may request a refund for a fee that may have been charged by the network-based transaction facility to facilitate the transaction.
Another problem that may occur is a seller falsely claiming the auctioned item was shipped or that a transaction did not go through, to obtain a refund when in fact a valid sale occurred.
The conventional dangers of fraud and identity theft associated with network-based transactions are well known and present unique technical challenges to overcome in a quick and efficient manner. Thus, there is a need for dealing with disputes between parties involved in a network-based transaction. The automation of procedures to handle issues and disputes presents a number of unique technical problems and challenges.